By: Shannon Bickert

The Schooners fell to the Valley Blue Sox 10-6 on Monday, July 20. Mystic fell to 21-14 on the summer with the loss.

Mystic’s starter, Brady Bouchard (Stetson) tossed an efficient first inning, retiring the Blue Sox in order.

Andrew Speranza (Marist) dealt a walk to Mystic’s leadoff man, Jack Harley (Stetson), but settled in nicely, tossing a scoreless frame.

Valley was unable to capitalize with two on in the second. Nico Soul (App St) doubled to deep left field and Ryan Frontera (Seton Hall) worked a walk. Bouchard worked his way in and out of trouble, holding the Blue Sox scoreless.

The Schooners tallied a run in the second to take an early lead. Thomas O’Connell (UVA) tallied Mystic’s first hit of the evening, an infield single to lead off the bottom of the second. Jamie Zee (Notre Dame) followed with a single to shallow left field. Adam Troch (Duke) opened the scoring with an RBI knock to right field. Harley worked his second walk of the night to load the bases. Speranza held the Schooners to just one run, stranding three.

Bouchard hit Josh Toole (GMU) by pitch to open the third, then retired the next three Blue Sox he faced on just five pitches.

Zee led off the bottom of the fourth with a walk and swiped second. Mystic was unable to add on, stranding a runner in scoring position.

Bouchard finished his night allowing just one hit across five innings.

Lukas Jachens (Oneonta) took the bump for the Blue Sox in the bottom of the fifth. Jachens walked Harley and Anthony Ruggiero (URI), but escaped the jam.

Valley took the lead as the Schooners made their first call to the bullpen in the sixth to Calvin Gregory (VCU). Esteban Garcia (BC) worked a walk and swiped second. Soul gave the Blue Sox the lead with the two-run shot to deep left field.

Gregory settled in during the seventh, tossing a three-up, three down inning.

The Schooners took the lead in the seventh as Gregory Bruno (Seton Hall) took the ball for the Blue Sox. Troch led off the home-half of the seventh with a double to right-center field. Joel Collado followed with a walk. Ruggiero knotted the score at two all with an RBI base hit to right. Gavin O’Brien (Northeastern) gave Mystic the lead with an RBI groundout.

Valley pulled ahead again in the eighth when the Schooners turned to MJ Bollinger. Garcia drew a walk and went first to home on Nick Speventa’s (UPenn) double to right-center to tie the game. Soul followed with an infield single, and Frontera gave Valley the lead on an RBI single. Chris Carson (SBU) drew a walk to load the bases. Nick Tomasetto (Seton Hall) continued to pour on with a two-run single, giving Valley the 6-3 lead.

Jake LeFrancois (UMass-Lowell) took the mound in the bottom of the eighth. Zee hit his fifth long ball of the summer, a solo shot to left field, cutting the deficit to one run. Chris Walsh (Northeastern) worked a walk, and Harley knocked an infield single, putting the tying run on. LeFrancois held Mystic to just one run in the inning.

Jack Ballou (Reinhardt) entered for Mystic in the ninth. Garcia worked a walk, Speventa doubled and the Schooners intentionally walked Soul. Valley made Mystic pay; Frontera ripped a double to left, bringing in two runs. Carson added on with a sacrifice fly, and Tomesetto knocked an RBI single, giving Valley a 10-4 advantage.

Ruggiero led off the ninth with a double. O’Connell kept the Schooners late-rally hopes alive with a two-run shot to left field. LeFrancois closed out the Valley win after giving up the blast.

The Schooners head on the road for a doubleheader against North Shore on Tuesday, July 21. First pitch for game one is set for 4 pm.